Railroad-rail joint.



PATENTED AUG. 16, 19051 E. A. WEIL.

RAILROAD RAIL' JOINT.

APYLIGATIOH HLBD MAR. 1a, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAILROAD- Specification of Letters Patent.

RAIL JOINT.

Patented Aug. 15, 1905.

Application filed March 18. 1905. Serial No. 250,701.

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, EDWARD A. WEIL, a citizen of the United States, residing at 1115 L street, in the city of Sacramento, county of Sacramento, and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Rail Joints; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full; clear, and exact description of the said invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it most nearly appertains to make, use, and practice the same.

This invention relates to improvements in rail-joints; and it consists of the novel construction and arrangement of the parts.

The objects sought to be accomplished are to provide a railroad-rail joint that will insure stability at the joint of the abutting ends of the rails and safeguard the rails from spreading laterally.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation in cross-section of a rail-joint constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view from above of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is an end elevation similar to Fig. 1, to show the accommodation of the construction to a common construction in railroad practice.

It has been determined as the best practice in laying rails to have the abutting ends between two ties and to have the fish-plates forming the joint span the space between the ties. In a road-bed the rail-joint is the weak point in the structure. The ideal rail would be continuous and free from expansion and contraction. The joint must not give more than the center of the rail g neither must the joint be so rigid as to cause pounding as the passing wheels strike it, and sufficient play must be allowed for expansion and contraction. The unavoidable inequalities in the rail-surface at the joints cause a constant vibration and shattering action at this point. In the course of time the ends of the ties adjacent the joint begin to shatter and split and release the spikes to such an extent often that they can be lifted out, or they will work entirely out by the vibration of the passing trains. Observation has shown that a large percentage of derailments are" traceable to defective rail-joints, particularly on curves where the momentum ofthe train is thrown against the outer rail, causin it to give way from the inner rail suiiicient y to allow the wheels to drop down between the rails.

In detail the construction consists of the j abutting ends of the rails A A, joined by the fish-plates B B, engaging the rail in the usual manner between the head A and the base A2 and secured under tension by the bolts C, extending through holes in the web of the rail. The plate B has the lateral extension B2 well out onto the ends of the ties D, so as to give ample bearing-surface on the ties, to which it is secured by the spikes B4. The inner plate B has the extensions B3 extending laterally from the base of the rail back onto the tie for a considerable distance, relatively speaking, the principal advantage of this feature being that the spikes B5 are more secure and less liable to split the tie if driven in some distance from the end of the tie. The extensions B3 can be welded onto the fish-plates or otherwise secured thereto. The spikes B are driven into the body of the tie, which is the last to rot or split, and being removed from proximity to the rail escape much of the vibration and liftin eiiiect due to the rise and fall of the base of the rail as the load passes.

The rail being divided between the ties, the disposition of the rail end carrying the load to drop below the plane of the rail end in advance is considerable. To overcome this disposition and hold the fish-plates to proper position and to take the shock of impact, the lateral yoke-truss E is provided. This truss consists of a rod extending under the base of the rail-joint in line withthe abutting ends of the rails and having the upward extensions E E extending through the bases of the fish-plates and provided with nuts E2 E2, by means of which the truss is held under tension.

Where traiiic is heavy, it has been found good practice to reinforce the joint with a length of channel-beam X, (see Fig. 4,) extending from tie to tie. When this construction is desirable, it can be provided without altering this invention other than to make the extensions E long enough to accommodate the addedthickness.

Having thus described this invention,what is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is`

1. A rail-joint composed of fish-plates secured to the rail by bolts extending through the web of the rails, the outer fish-plate having a iiange down onto the tie beyond the base-flange of the rail through which spikes are driven into the tie; the inner fish-plate having long extensions inward onto the body of the ties to which they are spiked; and a provided with a widened lateral member extruss extending beneath the abutting rail tending the entire length thereof, and an inends, and bolted to the base-flanges of the ner plate having its ends provided with latsh-plates. eral extensions.

2. A rail-joint composed of iish-plates se- In testimony Whereor` I have hereunto set cured t1? tjfhe rails {oy bots extending through my hand this 21st day of February, 1905. the We o the rai s, sai lates having exten sions beyond the base of Ethe rail; and a truss EDWARD A WEIL' engaging said extensions of both of said Witnesses:

plates, under tension beneath the rail-joint. H. F. G. WULFF,

3. A rail-joint comprising an outer plate TI-Ios. T. WISEMAN. 

